Camel thorn

Dead black trees on the white clay of Deadvlei, ringed by red dunes, have stood there for centuries – one of Namibia’s iconic sights.

The camel thorn is a spreading acacia up to 15 m tall, with an umbrella-shaped crown, formidable white thorns and thick, crescent-shaped pods grey with fine down. Its roots reach several tens of metres into the ground to tap groundwater, allowing the tree to survive on the driest sands. It provides shade and food: antelope, elephants and cattle eagerly eat the pods, and weaver birds build huge communal nests in the crowns. The hard wood is prized as firewood.

Significance in the country

At Deadvlei near Sossusvlei, the dead trunks of these acacias, which died when the dunes cut off their water supply, have stood for several hundred years without decaying in the dry climate. Living trees, in turn, are the basis of life in the Kalahari – providing shade, fodder and nesting sites.

Where it grows

Savannas and dry riverbeds across most of the country, especially in the Kalahari in the east and south; in the Namib Desert along seasonal rivers, including at Sossusvlei (Hardap).

More: Wikipedia (en)